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Spied: 2007 Holden Commodore!

Holden's next-generation
Commodore has been caught testing in Australia. The vehicle seen here is pivotal for General Motors' large car futures
worldwide, not just Down Under. Said to be based on the upcoming Zeta platform, the underpinnings of this vehicle could
see duty in everything from the next Chevrolet Impala, Buick Velite and Pontiac G8, and is expected to form the basis
for the next GTO and Camaro (provided they are green-lighted).

The 'VE' Commodore seen here is said to be a
line-built vehicle, with for-the-showroom units to come on line by the third quarter of this year. 'Big Daddy' versions
of the Commodore will feature a new GM 6.0-liter L76 eight-cylinder engine, which may receive variable valve timing and
Displacement on Demand. A six-speed automatic is expected. Lesser versions will see GM's global V6, with
CarsGuide.news.com.au reporting that force-fed versions of the drivetrain could be employed in an upcoming Alfa
Romeo or Saab.

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Anonymous

8 Years Ago

Can you imagine Mad Max tooling around in one of these? If there is something plainer than vanilla, I think Holden just designed it.

Bring the platform, powertrain and interior bits to the states (interior of the "Holden" GTO is the best in GM American market), and leave the exterior redesign to some folks with a pulse. Kudos to the Aussies for at least keeping the V-8 rear-drive musclecar spirit alive within GM while we in the states were left to SS badging of commuter appliances.

Anonymous

8 Years Ago

Ford Falcon has a 5.4DOHCV8 and its a heavy piece of crapola promoting understeer under spirited driving. In addition, fitting of extractors is an engine out job. and its NOT very efficient. LS1 has been the performance engine king in australia for domestic vehicles. With the inclusion of DoD etc with the VE update, it will be good enough for anything in its class. As for added weight reducing efficiency, it is due to passive and active safety inclusions, that there has been some added beef. Holden has been the ONLY domestic car maker that has reduced the size of its bread and butter engine (to the current HFV6 3.6)and is reducing emissions at the same time. Mitsubishi went bigger and Ford has stayed the same. Toyota....well fridges don't count :P

Anonymous

8 Years Ago

GM V8s?! Try the 360hp 40-valve DOHC V8 from a last-generation Audi S8. Or the 340hp Infiniti Q45 aluminum alloy V8 with micropolished molybdenum-coated pistons, titanium valves, asymmetric piston sleeves, and continuously variable intake and exhaust timing. Or the 400hp V8 from the M5-with an electronically throttle butterfly for EACH cylinder and completely and infinitely variable intake and exhause valve timing. These people know how to make V8s. GM has been using the same crap blocks for 40 years.

Anonymous

Anonymous

8 Years Ago

The only problem with the GTO is the miss managed expectation. Should they have brought it in any other name in the pontiac (or chevy) stable, everybody would have applauded the RWD V8 car. When was the last time you could get a modern car with that? (Chrysler did it)

The problem is that everyone was (for not good reason) remembering fondly of the original GTO. And of course was disabpinted.

They should have called it the Pontiac Butt Kicker. Would have sold by the thousands (wait, it did) But it was a niche car in the first place.

They probably can bring the Commodore as-is and call it an Impala. Can't be worse than the last refresh they pulled on us (they made the rear end look like a cobalt, way to go GM)

Anonymous

8 Years Ago

You think thats good. Sit on the M25 ring road round London on any Sunday and you can see Bentley testing their fleet of Continental GTCs. I saw a string the other day, one blue, one green and one silver. and the Sunday before that I saw the baby blue GTC.

Anonymous

Anonymous

Anonymous

8 Years Ago

The VE is 'spied' like 5 times a week. Free advertising and always with another small bit of camouflage removed each time. Best thing about the car without seeing it entirely is that for the first time ever the Commodore actually has some fender flares so that they don't all look like taxis with a spoiler.

Anonymous

8 Years Ago

"Get rid of the old 6.0L OHV V8 (except for "muscle car" special editions). What's up with the Aussie love affair with ancient technology anyway?"WTF are you talking about jamie? GM's OHC 6.0 V8s put out more power per LB of weight than any of Ford, BMW or Mercedes smaller V8s in a much smaller package. And at the same time GMs V8 has much better fuel economy and its cheaper. V8s is the one thing GM does right. Do you know anything about engines other than what you read on the sales brochure?

Anonymous

8 Years Ago

"What's up with the Aussie love affair with ancient technology anyway?"

In fairness to Holden, they don't have much choice in the matter. The only DOHC V8 in the GM empire is the aging Northstar, and GM insists on reserving it for Cadillac (and the V8 Lucerne, but that's a base-trim DTS in everything but name). Holden doesn't have the budget to develop their own DOHC V8 from scratch, and the only reason they have the 'Alloytec' V6 (aka 'High Feature' 3.6L) is that it was a joint project with Opel to replace the 54-degree Opel V6. Before the Alloytec, Holden was stuck with the hoary old 3800 for nearly 15 years, and had to borrow the Nissan RB30 inline 6 in the late 1980s when emission standards put the ancient Holden I6s out to pasture.